All Brad Hoylman 's Contenthttp://www.nysenate.gov/senator/brad-hoylman/content
enSenator Hoylman's Op-Ed on the Boy Scouts of America's Piecemeal Approach to Ending Gay Discriminationhttp://www.nysenate.gov/news/senator-hoylmans-op-ed-boy-scouts-americas-piecemeal-approach-ending-gay-discrimination
<p>Click <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jul/29/boy-scouts-partners-discriminate-gay-men">here</a> to read Senator Hoylman's op-ed published in The Guardian on July 29, 2015.</p>
<p>The Boy Scouts won't discriminate against gay men — but their affiliates will</p>
<p>By Brad Hoylman</p>
<p>Segregation is at its most insidious when it is justified under the pretext of official progress. If Jim Crow-era “separate but equal” racial segregation and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the failed military policy banning LGBT soldiers from serving openly, taught America anything, it’s that.</p>
<p>The decision this week by the Boy Scouts of America to end the ban on some gay adult leaders sets the same trap. The move was cheered as evidence that Scouting is finally catching up to growing popular support for LGBT rights, similar to the Supreme Court's watershed decision this summer guaranteeing same-sex marriage as a constitutional right.</p>
<p>Closer examination leads to a different conclusion. According to Robert Gates, the former US defense secretary and current president of the Boy Scouts, gay men are now officially permitted to be adult leaders, foreclosing the preposterous scenario of a gay Eagle Scout required to turn in his scouting badge upon reaching the age of majority. But under the new policy, local sponsoring organizations, like churches or synagogues, retain the authority to determine whether gay men are fit to serve as scout leaders.</p>
<p>In effect, Gates is outsourcing decades of discrimination by Scouting to local chapters, which apparently have been given the green light to continue to discriminate against gay adult leaders. If Gates was attempting to appease local religious sponsors with the new policy, he failed. Already, the Mormon Church issignaling it may break from Scouting altogether and create its own youth organization.</p>
<p>As a former Eagle Scout myself and the only openly gay member of the New York State Senate, I’ve been following Scouting’s shambolic attempts at refining their policies towards LGBT people with interest. The Boy Scouts shouldn’t permit the Mormon Church or any other group to undermine its national antidiscrimination policy. Scouting needs to make a clean break with these groups and ban all discrimination by organizations – religious or secular – against gay scout leaders.</p>
<p>Nothing short of zero tolerance is effective in enforcing anti-discrimination policies, a point made to me this week by an attendee I spoke to from Mississippi at a national gathering for LGBT parents and their children in Provincetown, Massachusetts. He recalled walking by a church-sponsored event this year in Jackson where Scouts were casually playing a game called “smear the queer.” Bias against LGBT people is so ingrained that it can only be stamped out in a uniform and regimented fashion.</p>
<p>Even more disturbing is the fact that we’ve seen this movie before when it comes to Boy Scouts of America and discrimination.</p>
<p>For the majority of the 20th century the Scouts’ official policy was one of racial nondiscrimination, while quietly ceding authority to local councils to set their own segregationist policies. As a result, many chapters banned black Scouts altogether for decades, while others allowed young black men to become Scoutsonly through segregated chapters and prohibitions on black Scouts wearing the uniform. It was not until 1974 that the last segregated Scout chapters were forced to integrate following a lawsuit by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.</p>
<p>What message are we sending young gay kids across America when the official policies of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) harken back to the bad old days of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and racial segregation? Why is the BSA dealing with the issue of workplace discrimination piecemeal? It’s telling that Girl Scouts doesn’t have this discriminatory policy.</p>
<p>Legislation on the federal and state levels would help address this problem head on.</p>
<p>Earlier this month, US Senator Jeff Merkley and US Representative David Cicilline introduced the federal Equality Act, which would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to provide civil rights protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity. While several states have enacted similar protections, a comprehensive federal policy is long overdue, and the most effective way to ensure that LGBT Americans are protected under the law no matter where they travel in the US.</p>
<p>In New York, I introduced legislation that would deny tax-exempt status to any organization – like the Boy Scouts of America – that discriminates against any person, group, organization or other entity based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.</p>
<p>The Boy Scouts of America should clean up its act, ban discrimination in all forms and support true progressive reforms like these.</p>
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Civil RightsWed, 29 Jul 2015 20:40:22 +0000Peter Ajemian280791 at http://www.nysenate.govHoylman Statement on Boy Scouts of America Vote to End Ban on Gay Adult Leadershttp://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/hoylman-statement-boy-scouts-america-vote-end-ban-gay-adult-leaders
<p><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; line-height: normal; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-size: 12.6666669845581px;">NEW YORK -&nbsp;State Senator Brad Hoylman said: “In my first month in office, I&nbsp;</span><a style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12.6666669845581px;" href="http://www.nysenate.gov/files/pdfs/Sen%20Hoylman%20to%20Boy%20Scouts%20re%20Discrimination%20Policy.pdf" target="_blank">wrote</a><span style="font-size: 12.6666669845581px;">&nbsp;to the leadership of the Boy Scouts of America and insisted that they remove any barriers to participation in the organization based on sexual orientation. As the only openly gay New York State Senator and a former Eagle Scout (Troop 70, Lewisburg, WV), I'm pleased that the Boy Scouts National Executive Board voted today to end its blanket ban on gay adult leaders but remain concerned that the new policy still gives local scout troops affiliated with religious organizations the option to discriminate. I urge President Robert Gates and the Board to adopt a policy that doesn't allow religion to provide cover for bigotry.</span></span></p>
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Civil RightsTue, 28 Jul 2015 00:26:08 +0000Peter Ajemian280636 at http://www.nysenate.govPassage of Legislation Authorizing State to Protect Nail and Beauty Salon Workershttp://www.nysenate.gov/blogs/2015/jul/20/passage-legislation-authorizing-state-protect-nail-and-beauty-salon-workers
<div>I recently joined Governor Cuomo at the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen Library in Midtown for the launch of a nail salon industry consumer education event to inform the public about workers’ rights and ensure that business owners live up to their responsibilities and obligations under the law. This initiative by Governor Cuomo follows reports in the New York Times exposing the unsafe working conditions that plague employees in the nail salon industry. Along with Assembly Member Ron Kim, I introduced legislation (S5748/A7630) that would provide the New York Secretary of State with the necessary tools to take action to end unlicensed or uninsured business activities and to impose stringent fines on bad operators.http://www.nysenate.gov/blogs/2015/jul/20/passage-legislation-authorizing-state-protect-nail-and-beauty-salon-workers#commentsMon, 20 Jul 2015 21:46:16 +0000Peter Ajemian280131 at http://www.nysenate.gov25 New York Senators Call On General Electric to Commit to Full Cleanup of Hudson River after Decades-Long Dumping of Toxic PCBshttp://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/25-new-york-senators-call-general-electric-commit-full-cleanup-hudson-river-after-deca
<p align="center"><em>Senator Hoylman and 24 Colleagues from Both Parties Send Letters to CEO Jeffrey Immelt and Gov. Cuomo Urging G.E. to Go Beyond Its Court-Mandated Dredging Requirement</em></p>
<p align="center"><strong>Hoylman: “Anything less than a full cleanup would be a dereliction of G.E.’s corporate and civic responsibility to the people of New York.”</strong></p>
<p>NEW YORK – Senator Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan), ranking member of the New York State Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, and 24 of his colleagues in the State Senate are calling on corporate giant General Electric (G.E.) to commit to a full remediation of the Hudson River after its decades-long dumping of toxic PCB chemicals.</p>
<p>In a letter to the company’s CEO, Jeffrey Immelt, the lawmakers urged G.E. to go beyond its court-mandated obligations to help clean up the Hudson River by expanding dredging to include the Champlain Canal and other parts of the river in need of restoration.&nbsp; The Senators argue that a failure to do so would result in economic, environmental and health-related hardships on the people of New York.</p>
<p>“As members of the New York State Senate, we urge you to commit to continuing the Hudson River PCB dredging operation beyond the current dredging season and conduct a full cleanup of Hudson River PCBs,” the letter to Immelt states.&nbsp; “The presence and long term impact of PCB contaminants that will be left behind when General Electric completes the EPA-mandated cleanup is well documented by the Federal Trustees charged with overseeing the river. Failure to continue the cleanup effort will result in severe economic, environmental, and public health impacts.”</p>
<p>The Senators sent a similar letter to Governor Andrew M. Cuomo urging his administration to publicly support a full cleanup by G.E. of Hudson River PCBs.&nbsp; The State Department of Environmental Conservation is one of three “natural resource trustees” of the Hudson River.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Senator Brad Hoylman </strong>said:<strong> </strong>“G.E. has only cleaned up 65 percent of the Hudson River. As the party responsible for polluting this treasured state natural resource, it’s G.E.’s responsibility to finish the job. Anything less than a full cleanup would be a dereliction of G.E.’s corporate and civic responsibility to the people of New York.”</p>
<p><strong>Scenic Hudson President Ned Sullivan</strong> said: “Now is the time for G.E. to commit to a comprehensive restoration of the Hudson – for the health of the river and the region's economy and to protect New York's taxpayers from footing the bill to clean up the company’s toxic mess.”</p>
<p><strong>Dan Raichel, staff attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)</strong>, said: “If GE doesn’t take this opportunity to finish the job and do it right, future generations of New Yorkers will be forced to continue bearing the costs and burdens of its toxic legacy in the Hudson.&nbsp; GE has the moral and legal obligation to clean up the Hudson the right way. The Senators’ letter today shows our elected representatives are demanding that GE meets that obligation.”</p>
<p><strong>Riverkeeper President Paul Gallay </strong>said: “Riverkeeper stands with the people, businesses, and civic leaders along the Hudson in demanding that GE address the millions of pounds of toxic&nbsp;PCBs it dumped into our river by continuing dredging until the job is complete.&nbsp; &nbsp;GE wants to end its clean-up without addressing the remaining PCB hot spots it's responsible for as part of its Natural Resource Damages liability. &nbsp;If it stops now, the river will be far from restored.”</p>
<p><strong>Clearwater Executive Director Peter Gross</strong> said: “Clearwater, as a flagship organization dedicated to the protection and health of the Hudson, applauds the legislators who are speaking out in the letter. We endorse and join in the forthright and well-informed demand that GE – a company that tries to position itself as caring about the environment and public health - must finish cleaning up the toxic mess it made in the Hudson River.”</p>
<p>The letters were signed by Senators Hoylman, Joseph Addabbo, Tony Avella, Neil Breslin, Adriano Espaillat, David Carlucci, Leroy Comrie, Ruben Diaz, Jesse Hamilton, Ruth Hassell-Thompson, Tim Kennedy, Liz Krueger, Bill Larkin, George Latimer, Velmanette Montgomery, Marc Panepinto, Kevin Parker, Jose Peralta, Bill Perkins, Gustavo Rivera, James Sanders, Diane Savino, Jose Serrano, Daniel Squadron, Toby Stavisky.</p>
<p>Senator Hoylman <a href="http://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/senator-hoylman-holds-panel-discussion-chelsea-saving-hudson-river">held a town hall meeting</a> on the Hudson River cleanup on June 4, 2015. &nbsp;Participants heard from Daniel Raichel, Staff Attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council; Hayley Carlock, Environmental Attorney for Scenic Hudson; and Paul Gallay, President and Hudson Riverkeeper for Riverkeeper and were urged to take action by signing the petition on <a href="http://www.cleanerhudson.org/petition" target="_blank">Campaign for a Cleaner Hudson’s website</a>.</p>
<p>Copies of each letter can be found below.</p>
<p align="center">***</p>
<p>June 26, 2015</p>
<p>Mr. Jeffrey Immelt, CEO<br />General Electric Company<br />315 Easton Turnpike<br />Fairfield, CT 06828</p>
<p>Dear Mr. Immelt:</p>
<p>As members of the New York State Senate, we urge you to commit to continuing the Hudson River PCB dredging operation beyond the current dredging season and conduct a full cleanup of Hudson River PCBs. The presence and long term impact of PCB contaminants that will be left behind when General Electric completes the EPA-mandated cleanup is well documented by the Federal Trustees charged with overseeing the river. Failure to continue the cleanup effort will result in severe economic, environmental, and public health impacts.</p>
<p>The Hudson River – from the foothills of the Adirondacks to Manhattan’s Battery – is where diverse populations, geographies, natural resources, and economic opportunities converge. The Hudson possesses abundant scenic and natural resources that provide a commercial and environmental foundation for our communities to thrive. Together, with you, we are investors in this critical resource, which has been referred to as “the landscape that defined America,” and to this day serves as the backbone of a $4.75 billion tourism industry. As elected members of the state legislature, we have designed and supported strategies to revitalize the river and its communities through legislation and budgetary allocations.</p>
<p>No company is better equipped to complete the massive undertaking of removing the toxic PCBs released into the river from your manufacturing facilities in Hudson Falls and Fort Edward. While we are grateful that GE has fully met the requirements of Phase 2 dredging, we are deeply concerned by reports from federal, state and independent natural resource scientists indicating that significant PCB “hot spots” will remain after the company’s dredging operations shut down later this year.</p>
<p>The health risks posed by this contamination are frightening and well-documented, with one recent study by the New York/New Jersey Contamination Assessment and Reduction Project calling it an “economic ball and chain.” If left behind, these Superfund-caliber sediments falling just outside mandated dredging areas will undermine efforts to reduce threats to public health and reestablish damaged habitats.</p>
<p>New York State’s future is tied to the restoration of the Hudson River and the return of the once-vibrant commercial fishing industry and lucrative cargo shipping on the Champlain Canal that existed prior to 1976. Committing to a more comprehensive cleanup now<em> </em>will lead to significant environmental and economic recovery of the Hudson River and better the lives of the 15 million Americans who live in proximity to the river within the next generation.</p>
<p>A growing roster of community groups and municipalities has united behind this vision and has called for the removal of residual PCB contamination immediately. We support these efforts and pledge our support to work with you to achieve this important goal. Nothing less will preserve General Electric’s reputation and legacy.</p>
<p align="center">***</p>
<p>June 26, 2015</p>
<p>The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo<br /> Governor of New York State<br /> New York State Capitol <br /> Albany, NY 12224</p>
<p>Dear Governor Cuomo:</p>
<p>As members of the New York State Senate, we urge your administration to publicly support a full cleanup by General Electric of Hudson River PCBs. The presence and long term impact of PCB contaminants that will be left behind when General Electric completes their EPA-mandated cleanup is well documented by the Federal Trustees charged with overseeing the river. Failure to continue the cleanup effort will result in severe economic, environmental, and public health impacts.</p>
<p>The Hudson River – from the foothills of the Adirondacks to Manhattan’s Battery – is where diverse populations, geographies, natural resources, and economic opportunities converge. The Hudson possesses abundant scenic and natural resources that provide a commercial and environmental foundation for our communities to thrive. Together, with you, we are investors in this critical resource, which has been referred to as “the landscape that defined America,” and to this day serves as the backbone of a $4.75billion tourism industry. As elected members of the state legislature, we have designed and supported strategies to revitalize the river and its communities through legislation and budgetary allocations.</p>
<p>No company is better equipped to complete the massive undertaking of removing the toxic PCBs released into the river from General Electric’s manufacturing facilities in Hudson Falls and Fort Edward than GE itself. While we are grateful the company has fully met the requirements of Phase 2 dredging, we are deeply concerned by reports from federal, state and independent natural resource scientists indicating that significant PCB “hot spots” will remain after the company’s dredging operations shut down later this year.</p>
<p>The health risks posed by this contamination are frightening and well-documented, with one recent study by the New York/New Jersey Contamination Assessment and Reduction Project calling it an “economic ball and chain.” If left behind, these Superfund-caliber sediments falling just outside mandated dredging areas will undermine efforts to reduce threats to public health and reestablish damaged habitats.</p>
<p>New York State’s future is tied to the restoration of the Hudson River and the return of the once-vibrant commercial fishing industry and lucrative cargo shipping on the Champlain Canal that existed prior to 1976. Committing to a more comprehensive cleanup now<em> </em>will lead to significant environmental and economic recovery of the Hudson River and better the lives of the 15 million Americans who live in proximity to the river within the next generation.</p>
<p>A growing roster of community groups and municipalities has united behind this vision and has called for the removal of residual PCB contamination immediately. We support these efforts and pledge our support to work with you to bring pressure upon General Electric to achieve this important goal. Nothing less will ensure the viability and productivity of the Hudson River for future generations.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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Hazardous WasteFri, 17 Jul 2015 15:34:11 +0000Peter Ajemian279971 at http://www.nysenate.govRGB Testimony 2015http://www.nysenate.gov/blogs/2015/jul/02/rgb-testimony-2015
http://www.nysenate.gov/blogs/2015/jul/02/rgb-testimony-2015#commentsThu, 02 Jul 2015 17:35:45 +0000Peter Ajemian278966 at http://www.nysenate.govLPC Stonewall Testimonyhttp://www.nysenate.gov/blogs/2015/jul/01/lpc-stonewall-testimony
http://www.nysenate.gov/blogs/2015/jul/01/lpc-stonewall-testimony#commentsWed, 01 Jul 2015 16:54:14 +0000Peter Ajemian278761 at http://www.nysenate.govMy Albany Report 2015http://www.nysenate.gov/blogs/2015/jun/30/my-albany-report-2015
http://www.nysenate.gov/blogs/2015/jun/30/my-albany-report-2015#commentsTue, 30 Jun 2015 22:17:04 +0000Peter Ajemian278711 at http://www.nysenate.govHoylman Hails Passage of His Legislation to Require Translation of Domestic Violence Complaintshttp://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/hoylman-hails-passage-his-legislation-require-translation-domestic-violence-complaints
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-color: white;" align="center"><em><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; color: #222222;">Bill&nbsp;introduced in response to tragic death of Deisy Garcia, whose domestic incident reports languished because they were written in Spanish&nbsp;</span></em><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 10pt;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-color: white;" align="center"><em><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Hoylman: “In the world’s melting pot,&nbsp;language should never be an impediment to justice”</span></em><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 10pt;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: #222222; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">NEW YORK – Today, State Senator Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan) hailed passage by the New York State Legislature of his bill to require local police departments around the state to&nbsp;translate domestic violence incident reports from languages other than English and ensure that domestic violence victims are notified of their rights in their native language. Assembly Member Maritza Davila passed identical legislation in the State Assembly, and&nbsp;the bill is now headed to Governor Cuomo's desk for his signature. &nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: #222222; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Hoylman introduced the legislation in </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">response to&nbsp;the brutal murder last year&nbsp;of Deisy Garcia and her two daughters at the hands of Garcia's estranged&nbsp;husband. Ms. Garcia had filed multiple domestic incident reports with the NYPD&nbsp;in Spanish but&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">the <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/19/us/new-york-domestic-killing-warnings/">reports were never translated into English by investigators</a>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: #222222; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">State Senator Brad Hoylman said: “All domestic violence victims, no matter what language they speak, must have equal access to justice under the law. Deisy Garcia and her two young daughters never had that chance, simply because their urgent pleas weren’t translated. With this legislation, no longer will tragic cases like Ms. Garcia’s fall between the cracks.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: #222222; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">“My bill ensures that when a non-English speaker fills out a domestic violence report, that report will be promptly translated into English so police can begin a proper investigation and also requires that all victims of domestic violence are notified of their rights in their native language. In the world’s melting pot,&nbsp;language should never be an impediment to justice.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: #222222; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">“I’m extremely grateful to my Senate colleagues for their support and Assembly Member Martiza Davila for her advocacy on this important issue. I urge Governor Cuomo to sign this bill into law.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: #222222; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Senator Hoylman’s legislation, S.4288, would require that state and local law enforcement have policies and procedures in place for&nbsp;translation and notification requirements so that no victim of domestic violence is denied access to justice.&nbsp; Under current law, police can receive a domestic violence incident&nbsp;report but not properly initiate an&nbsp;investigation&nbsp;because the report was not filed in English.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; color: #222222;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: #222222; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">The bill passed the Senate on a 42-21 count on June 18, 2015.&nbsp;</span></p>
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Domestic ViolenceFri, 26 Jun 2015 16:33:52 +0000Peter Ajemian278461 at http://www.nysenate.govNEW YORK’S ONLY OPENLY GAY SENATOR HAILS U.S. SUPREME COURT DECISION ON MARRIAGEhttp://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/new-york-s-only-openly-gay-senator-hails-us-supreme-court-decision-marriage
<p align="center"><em>Hoylman: “As a gay husband and father, I’m extremely proud to be an American today.”</em>&nbsp;</p>
<p>State Senator Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan) said: “As a gay husband and father, I’m extremely proud to be an American today. Today’s Supreme Court decision affirms the legal, cultural and social validity of my family throughout the entire country. As a Senator representing one of the largest LGBT communities in the world, I couldn’t be more grateful to the litigants and their attorneys – including former colleague&nbsp;Mary Bonauto of GLAD and my dear friend Doug Hallward-Driemeier&nbsp;of Ropes &amp; Gray – and for pressing this momentous case forward. LGBT couples everywhere will now enjoy the same basic civil right that New York State granted back in 2011.</p>
<p>“It’s exciting to think that one day my 4-year old daughter will read about&nbsp;<em>Obergefell v. Hodges</em>&nbsp;in school and understand the transformative effect the case is bound to have on LGBT families in our country. The decision in&nbsp;<em>Obergefell&nbsp;</em>follows the trailblazing jurisprudence set forth in&nbsp;<em>U.S. v. Windsor </em>and&nbsp;<em>Hollingsworth v. Perry</em>&nbsp;and will join the pantheon of historic Supreme Court decisions like&nbsp;<em>Brown v. Board of Education</em>&nbsp;that have defined the struggle for equal rights under the law.”</p>
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<span class="date-display-single">Fri, 06/26/2015</span> </div>
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Civil RightsFri, 26 Jun 2015 15:34:29 +0000Peter Ajemian278441 at http://www.nysenate.govSenator Brad Hoylman Partners With U.S. Fish and Wildlife And NYS DEC to Destroy More than One Ton of Illegal Ivory in Times Squarehttp://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/senator-brad-hoylman-partners-us-fish-and-wildlife-and-nys-dec-destroy-more-one-ton-il
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>"Ivory Crush" event, initiated by Senator Hoylman, seeks to raise awareness about illegal ivory trade and wildlife crimes against elephants</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Hoylman: "An elephant is killed every 15 minutes. If we are to protect this magnificent species from extinction we need to raise awareness about the trade of illegal ivory and choke off consumer demand."</em></p>
<p>NEW YORK – Today, the U.S. government destroyed more than a ton of illegal elephant ivory in the middle of Times Square, raising awareness about the illegal ivory trade and sending a message to poachers that wildlife crimes against elephants will not be tolerated. The event, which came at the request of State Senator Brad Hoylman, was organized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation the Wildlife Conservation Society and Senator Hoylman.</p>
<p>State Senator Brad Hoylman, Ranking Member of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, said: “I'm proud to have initiated this effort by asking the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to hold an ivory crush in Times Square in my district because New York City is the epicenter of the illegal ivory trade. An elephant is killed every 15 minutes. If we are to protect this magnificent species from extinction we need to raise awareness about the trade of illegal ivory and choke off consumer demand. I applaud the Obama Administration, U.S. Fish &amp; Wildlife Service, the Wildlife Conservation Society and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation for their steadfast commitment to ending the trade of elephant ivory and thank the Times Square Alliance for their support of this historic ivory crush today in Times Square.”</p>
<p>New York City is the epicenter of the illegal ivory trade in the United States. A report in 2008 uncovered that New York City accounts for nearly half of all ivory products sold nationwide and in 2012, an investigation by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Manhattan District Attorneys office led to the seizure of more than $2 million worth of elephant ivory from New York City jewelers.</p>
<p>African elephants are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act and further protected under the African Elephant Conservation Act but elephants continue to be targeted by poachers and reports show that an elephant is killed every 15 minutes.</p>
<p>Today’s event came about after Senator Hoylman wrote to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service asking that they consider hosting such an event in Times Square, within his Senate District. See a link to his letter <a href="http://www.nysenate.gov/files/pdfs/Hoylman%20Letter%20to%20U.S.%20Fish%20and%20Wildlife.pdf">here</a>.</p>
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<span class="date-display-single">Fri, 06/19/2015</span> </div>
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EnvironmentFri, 19 Jun 2015 18:26:25 +0000Peter Ajemian277486 at http://www.nysenate.gov